Poker Face
by quartz cuboid
Summary: Whee. Changed the name. Kairi finds herself in another world, and having other memories which she did not have. Is getting adjusted to a new life, fighting evil too much for her? [chapter 1 up]
1. Prolouge

_I am searching…_

_Still searching…_

_Why can't you redeem me…?_

_From this torment, this hell?___

_Release me…_

_Please._

"Kai…Kai…KAIRI!" A light, sweet, slightly whiny voice prodded me away from my heavy eyelids and bright light immediately gushed through my eyes, forcing me to shut them.

"Hey, Kai, any idea why you're so tired nowadays?" The same voice asked. I groaned and took a guess in the cool comfort of the darkness in my view. "Lack of sleep?" The voice laughed and I felt something stretching out to my face. Quickly, the "something" pulled open my shut eyes and light poured through them again.

"Selphie? I thought you had to accompany Tidus for something really special, as he said?"

That comment caused a deep red blush on her pale rosy cheeks.

"Hey, be happy he got a cold and I came here for you instead, you meanie."

Ignoring that comment, I got up, rubbed my sleepy eyes, and tried to get up. Somehow, I lost control of my two big feet and fell, landing painfully on my bum.

Silence

Then laughter.

Selphie held out her hand to me, still as skinny but slightly muscular now. I took her hand, and surprisingly, without any effort she lifted me from the ground. I gawked silently at her amazing strength for a girl who weighed a few kilograms lighter than me. She must have seen me gaping at her, mouth opened wide.

"Hey, what? Is it that abnormal for a teen to lift an older teen?"

I giggled, a girlish giggle.

"Unless you're that skinny scrawny Sora…"

Sora.

Oh god.

How I wished I've kept my mouth shut.

Sora, Sora, Sora.

It's been 2 years already…why aren't you back? You promised…that you'll come back to me. With a "will", not "may". Why aren't you here?

Why can't I feel your warmth, hear your voice in this fragile heart that was –no, is ours?

Why can't I locate you?

Sora…

"Kairi? Are you okay? You were zoning out…"

The same sweet voice. Except it was different, with a tiny hint of melancholy this time.

I nodded, pretending to keep my sprits up and happy as usual.

"Yeah, I'm fine, really." I faked a smile and walked up to the beach, listening to the sound of the waves. The weather had gotten increasingly colder.

The same words kept repeating in my mind. "Relax. Sora's gonna come back safe right? Be happy!"

But I couldn't.

I found it so hard. Sora…I loved him all the time. I still love him. I still have recurring dreams of the day when the Islands were restored. Sure, it was happiness for the innocent people as all the evil baddy stuff was gone, but it was a deep unseen trauma for me all the time, all the two years. I really wish that that never happened. If it didn't, he would be at my side, talking, laughing, chatting with me. Riku would be here too, being the brotherly figure he was.

But it will never happen. That's all a beautiful dream.

Dreams.

Not reality.

Compared to the very start of the reforming of the Islands, the faith I have now is so minimal. Optimistic thinking and earnest prayers were a part of my life then. But now, I don't bother about prayers and a positive attitude. I can only stare at the stars and think of him, trying to call him through our connected heart. I don't believe he heard it at all. I told myself many times, follow your heart. But I can't…because I felt like I lost something. Where can I find that thing I've lost? I don't know. I don't even know what is the thing I'd lost.

God, I am really confused.

The beach was so silent, the sounds of the waves were therapeutic to my hurting mind. It's not everyday a 16 year old loses a special person, waits for him and keeps hoping for him to return, and feels really weird and psycho and confused? No.

Wait.

Light?

Light shining from the other end of the beach?

I looked up in the already dark sky, decorated with many shining stars. Suddenly, a bolt of light fell. And more came along.

A meteor shower?

Another world had shattered?

It couldn't be.

I ran to the light, which turned out to be some kind of passageway. A passageway filled with light? Weird, but I entered it, with the tiny hope that Sora would be there. The things I do blindly for searching for Sora.

I walked in, deeper and deeper. The atmosphere seemed to get colder and holier, but I felt something. Something dark. Something that was pricking me inside. The heart inside of me got colder with each step. Ignoring the icy cold, I continued.

Silence followed me all the way, except for my footsteps.

_Kairi…_

A voice? I found myself stopping, listening.

_Kairi…you cannot…you mustn't…_

_  
_What? I felt that my throat was constricted. I couldn't talk. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't.

_Don't go to them…to the ones on the other side…_

I gasped, opening my mouth, trying to inhale. The whole passageway changed slowly, transforming into a dark void. I fell to my knees, inhaling the stale musty air, which I found my body couldn't take.

_But you have to go…_

I collapsed on the ground, my lungs thoroughly drained out of air. __

_You have to go…_

_For the light to show once again._

The light. The last words I heard.

Darkness.

Author notes: Yay, whatever. This is about Kairi I guess. Um, yeah. So many fanfics not completed …argh. I given up hope on Owarinai Yume somehow. But I guess I will continue. Till I find a way for the revival of Owarinai Yume (I lost my story plans), this fic – Duty – and Angel Mortal Game – after some explaination – will continue, if I have the time. After exams I will try. Please review and thanks!

Thanks,

-hikari


	2. Another story

_A new world._

_Does that mean new hope?_

_Hopes of finding you revived?_

_I can't give up._

_There are many memories I've placed with you._

_I must find…_

"…Ugh…I don't feel good…" My head was churning. My heart was beating. Being alive and safe was no relief to me, considering pain was erupting in my body. I opened my mouth, gasping. Fresh air flooded through me, soothing my lungs.

I looked around. All was unfamiliar. The room was airy and the décor was mainly white. Pink flowers with a light fragrance stood in a vase near me. There was some weird encryption on a piece of paper near the vase. I looked ahead, sighing.

Then I noticed.

My leg was in a cast. Have I injured it? Immediately, I tried to get up. Pain hit me hard, forcing my body to slam down on the soft bed. I touched my head. I felt a soft and rough cloth on my forehead. It felt like bandage. I must have hurt myself unknowingly, even if I don't remember.

"Kai! You're awake!" A familiar voice in such strange surroundings brought a huge relief to me. Selphie ran into the room, dressed in a huge black coat which was engulfing her tiny size and grey gloves. I found myself getting up automatically but failing again.

"Careful, Kai! The doctor said not to strain yourself…do you know me?" Selphie's eyebrows were arched, her emerald eyes showed a hint of questioning and hesitation.

"Sure I do Selph." I answered, letting her help me prop myself up on pillows she put behind my back. She froze.

"I'm not Selph. Kairi? Don't you remember? The doctor said you might have amnesia...looks like his prediction came true."

I was stunned. Selphie not Selphie? I couldn't believe it. The bouncy girl called Selphie now not Selphie? I wanted to break down. I felt like this Selphie lookalike stole the real Selphie from me, inserting another clone.

Silence.

Then immense laughter.

"Oh Kairi, you're so gullible! Of course I'm Selphie! Selphie Tilmitt! The exchange student from Australia! I'm glad you remembered…Here's some sushi for you!"

"What's that…?"

"…Forget I said that."

I learnt a lot that day. I was in a hospital, because of a car accident apparently. The pink blossoms beside me were Sakura flowers. The weird writing was Japanese. Selphie was an exchange student staying with me. I was in Tokyo, Japan and went to a high school. I lived in an apartment with my brother. I slowly thought over everything and realised I sort of knew them after Selphie's explaination. Except the brother part.

Wait.

I could remember vaguely a boy carrying me…

When I was what? Seven years old?

Then I remembered Sora and Riku. They were playing together and I was watching them, laughing.

The good old days broken into halves, one bittersweet, one completely distant.

And there was Selphie. What exchange student? She was my childhood friend, my partner, my companion when Sora and Riku weren't there. She was not any silly exchange student who gawked at all the cute boys in town. Though she does gawk at boys. I looked at her. She was smiling hugely, seemingly proud she had mastered the feat of letting me remember what was untrue to me but not to her. She seemed to have forgotten everything. I could not stand it. The urge in me to ask her about Destiny Islands was huge. Finally I opened my mouth.

"Selphie, do you remember Destiny Islands?"

Silence.

"Remember the ocean? Paopu fruit? The places we hung out together? Wakka? Tidus…?"

Oops. I just remembered. Tidus ditched her for some girl named Yuna. I looked at her, praying and peeing in my pants she would not get offended. Even if she remembered, I would be happy.

Silence.

Her mouth dropped open, mumbling a string of words.

"Kai, what are you talking about…? Destiny Islands? Isn't that an island from a game called Kingdom Hearts? How could we belong to a game world…?"

I could see Destiny Islands shatter, breaking into fragments which I could not catch, no matter how hard I tried, drifting away from me in a dream-like manner.

"No…I swear Selphie, this is true! We don't belong here! We belong in that world!!!" I was frantic. Selphie seemed to be on the verge on calling the doctor in.

"…what are you talking about? Are you feverish?"

She couldn't remember. I decided to play along with this world.

"…Never mind. Ignore that. It was all in my dreams." I sighed, plopping back down on the soft pillows.

"…If you say so I guess…" Her worried look on her face mirrored her doubts of my sanity.

Wait a minute. Game? My hometown a game? Impossible. My memories…a game?

I thought silently. Selphie's chatter was muffled to my ears.

Suddenly it hit me.

Sora's going was a game?

Everything became blurred. The room seemed to waver here and there, colours distorted. Selphie seemed to be nothing but part of the background.

Something distinct was calling for my name. I felt warmth on my arms, I was floating, drifting in nothingness. Void. The feeling was peaceful. Serene. I closed my eyes. Let the darkness fill my vision.

"Kairi…"I flicked open my eyes.

Sora.

He was reaching out a hand to me, smiling, in his usual way.

In this nothingness, I found him.

I wanted to stay here forever, embracing this silence, this void, with Sora.

_"Kairi…no…"_

Not Sora's voice. Some other voice. A familiar voice.

My fingers barely touched his.

_"Don't stray to the darkness…"_

_"Just yet."_

"Kairi! Stop it! You're scaring me!" Selphie's voice broke me out from my void.

The hospital again.

My hand was outreached, fingers reaching.

Where Sora's hand was supposed to be was nothing.

Only air.

Author's note: what crap? The ending sounds stupid…anyways, I might not be using this account anymore, but probably another one. And I'm going to Japan soon! Tralaladeeda! WHEE!! SUGAR ALL AROUND!!! Ehehe.


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